Swimming appliance



Jan. 19 1926. 1,569,892

LE ROY F. SNAPP SWIMMING APPLIANCE Filed May 1, 1925 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 1iFvgnTor.

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Jan. 19, 132 1,569,892

L E RoY F. SNAPP swmumc APPLIANCE Filed May 1, 1925- 3 Sheets-Shut 2Fig.3.

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Jan. 19,1926. 1,569,892 LE ROY F. SNAPP swmmm APPLIANCE Filed May 1,1925 :5 Sheets-Sheet 3- I lnv enfo r.

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Patented Jan. 19, 1926.

PATENT OFFICE.

SWIMMING Application filed May 1,

i To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Ln Ror FLETCHER SNAPP, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and resident of Brooklyn, county of Kings, State of New York,have invented an Improvement in Swimming Appliances, of which thefollowing description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is aspecification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to'a swimming appliance and particularly to adevice of that character which includes a body adapted to be secured tothe palm of the hand and wings extensible on either side of the body inplanes parallel to the plane of the body.

One of the objects of my present invention is to provide an improvedswimming appliance of this type which is simple in construction andcomprises few parts. Another object of the invention is to provide aswimming appliance of this type in which the spreading and closing ofthe wings may be accomplished by movement of the fingers of the hand towhich the device is secured. When a person is swimming he naturallyopens his fingersduring the propelling stroke and closes them during thereturn stroke. My improved swimming device is devised so as to make useoi this natural movement of the fingers in spreading and closing thewings, said device being constructed so that when the fingers arestraightened the wings will be extended or expanded while when thefingers are closed the wings will be folded or closed. The use of thedevice, therefore, involves simply the natural movement which a personmakes in swimming, this natural movement of the hands and fingersresulting in opening and closing the wings.

In order to give an understanding of my invention I have illustrated inthe drawings some selected embodiments thereof which will now bedescribed after which the novel features will be pointed out in theappended claims.

Fig. 1 is a view of a swimming appliance embodying theinvention showingthe wings closed and illustrating the position oi the fingerscorresponding to this position;

7 Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the wings opened and showing thefingers straightened;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but show-- ing a different embodimentof the invention,

OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

APPLIANCE.

1925. Serial No. 27,280.

said figure being partially broken away to I better illustrate theconstruction;

Fig. 4 is a view showing the manner in which the device is strapped tothe hand;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line ii, Fig. 1 showmg in full lines theposition of the parts when the wings are closed and in dotted lines theposition of the parts when the wings are opened or spread;

Fig. 6 isa section on the line 6- 6, Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7-7, Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the form of actuatorillustrated in Fig. 3.

The device herein shown comprises a body or frame member 1 which isadapted to be secured to the palm oi'the hand of the wear er, and twowing members 2 and 3 which are pivoted to the body member 1 at 4 and 5respectively and which are adaptedto swing in planes parallel to thebodymember 1. These wing members are so constructed that when they arefolded as shown in Fig. 1 the are located within the limits of the b0 ymember 1 while when they are spread the pivot pins 1 and 5 extendingfrom the flange 18 to the body.

a On the. opposite edge the body is provided with the guiding flange 6which overlies the wings 2 and 3 and guides them during their swingingmovement.

As stated above the opening and closing of the wings is secured by anopening and closing movement of the fingers 7 of the hand on which thedevice is worn. The means for thus actuating the wings will be presentlydescribed.

The device is adapted to be worn on the palm of the hand and may besecured to the hand by various means without departing from theinvention. One convenient means for this purpose comprises a strap 8which is passed under a plurality of loops 9 which are struck up fromthe body 1, said strap being threaded through the loops in such a way asto form a permanent loop 10 which encircles the hand at the base of thefingers and another loop 11 which encircles the hand opposite thepalmthereof. The loop 11 is formed b detacbably securing together the two ens 12 and 13 of the strap by means of a buckle 14.

33 indicates a tab which is secured to the buckle and by which thelatter may be readily loosened. The buckle will preferably be of thefamiliar type which includes a toothed actuating member 34 thatei'igages the end 12 of the strap and this buckle may be loosened bysimple pulling on the tab 33. The advantage of this construction is thatthe swimmer can easily loosen the buckle and thus divest himself of theswimming appliance it he so wishes by simply gripping the tab 33 withhis teeth and pulling. This can be done during the swimming operationand in an instants time.

The size of the body 1 is such that the fingers 7 project beyond thebody as seen clearly in Figs. 2, 3 and 5 so that the presence of theswimming appliance on the hand does not interfere with opening andclosing the fingers. As stated above means are provided whereby thewings and 3 may be spread or closed by the opening and closing movementof the fingers. his is herein pro vided for by means of an actuatingmember 15 which is slim-ably mounted on the body 1 and is pivotallyconnected to the wings, said actuating member having a loop 16 throughwhich the fingers may be passed.

This actuating member 15 extends through a slot 17 formed in the guidingflange (S and it overlies the wings as shown in Figs. 1. and 2. Saidmember also extends under anchoring flange 18 and is provided with aslot 19 which receives a guiding stud or post 20 that connects theanchoring flange 18 and the body 1. In the construction shown inFigs. 1. 2 and 6 this actuating member 15 is pivoted to the wings at 21and 22 respectively so that when the actuating member 15 is moved in thedirection of its length the wings will be turned about their pivots 4-and 5. This movement of the actuating member is accomplished by openingand closing the fingers.

Assuming the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1 and full linesFig. 5 the tin gers T of the hand will be closed over the edge of theswimming appliance. hen the fingers are straightened, as shown in Fig.2, and also as shown in dotted lines Fig. 5, the actuating member 15will be drawn outwardly and by its pivotal connection with the wingswill operate to swing them out wardly or spread them as shown in Fig. 2.A. closing movement of the fingers will obviously return the parts tothe position shown in Fig. 1 with the wings folded. The spreading andfolding of the wings. therefore, is accomplished simply by the openingand closing movement of the lingers, and as stated above this is amovement which one naturally make when swimming.

In order to allow free swinging movement of the wings I will preferablyprovide a pin and slotconnection between the atluator l5 and each wing.The pins 21., 22 may be mounted either in the wing or in the aetuah ingmember, the other member being slotted to receive the pin. In theconstruction shown in Figs. 1 and (5 the pivot pins ill and are in thewings and the slots are in the netuator but so "far as this ii'lventionis concerned the slot might be in either member.

In Figs. 3 and 8 I have shown a different embodiment of the inventionwhich involves a different lorm of connection between the actuator andthe wings. lnv this embodiment of the invention each wing is providednear its pivotal end with a tooth or projection 46 and the actuator isformed with two recesses which receive the teeth l6. When the actuatoris morcd downwardly from the position shown in Fig. 35 the walls to ofthe recesses will ei'lgage the teeth and operate to swing them. into thedotted line position Fig. 3 thus folding the wings and when the actuatoris drawn outwardly into the full line position the walls it) of therecesses will act on the teeth or projection l6 lllll swinging the wingsoutwardly. In some respects this construction is preferable to thatshown in Figs. 1 and 2 because it is less expensive to manufacture.

I may. if desired, employ a spring such as shown at 50 in Figs. 1 i2 and(5 or as shown at in Fig. 3 for assisting in opening the wings. Thisspring will preferably be confined between the wall 26 and the end ofthe actuator. The latter may conveniently be formed with a pocket orrecess to receive the spring. The spring acts against the act ualortending normally to force it upwardly and thus open the wings.

The muscular force which a person asserts in closing the fingersstronger than that in opening the lingers am: the spring 5%) or a:augments the muscular tlt'ilUll ot the lingers in opening the wings. Theaddition ol this spring, however, is not no. s ary to the invention asthe device can be operated without it. Under some circumstances,hmvercr. it may be desirable to employ such a spring.

In order to permit the wings to be fully folded without interferencethey are made of the special shape shown. Each wing has theronvexlycurvcd edge .23 on its outer face and the re-entrant portion onits inner face, the latter forming a guiding linger \Vhen the device isfully 'i'olded lhelinger of each wing rests against the end wall 26 asshown in 1 and (i and the re-em'rant )ortion 2a accommodates the uidirn)art 20. 1

The dimensions of the wings are such that when they are folded they comeentirely within the outline of the body 1. \Vhen the wings are spread asshown in Fig. 2 the finger portions 25 of the two wings overlap eachother and the edges of the wings are confined beneath the guiding flange6.

In order to provide proper spacing of the wings and other parts Ipropose to upset the body 1 and the anchoring flange 18 as shown at 27at the points where the wings are pivoted, these upset portions makingbosses which engage the wings and hold them properly positioned. Thepivotal connection may be made by means of rivets as shown at 5 in Fig.5.

The actuating member 15 is provided with stop shoulders 31 which bytheirengagement with the wall 32 of the body limit the outward movement ofsaid actuator.

While I have illustrated herein some selected embodiments of myinvention I do not wish to be limited to the constructional featuresshown.

I claim.

1. A swimming appliance comprising a body adapted to be secured to thepalm of the hand, wings pivoted to the body and swingable in planesparallel thereto, and means to open and close the wings by an openingand closing movement of the fingers.

2. A swimming appliance comprising a body adapted to be secured to thepalm of the hand,wings secured to the body and extensible and foldablein planes parallel to the plane of the body, and means to extend orclose the wings by movement of the fingers.

3. A swimming appliance comprising a body, means for securing said bodyto the palm of the hand, wings secured to the body and which areextensible and toldable in planes parallel to the plane of the body, anactuator for operating the wings constructed to be given its operativemovement by the fingers of the hand.

4. A swimming appliance comprisinga body, means for securing said bodyto the palm of the hand, wings pivoted to the body and swingable inplanes parallel thereto, an actuator movable relative to the body andhaving a loop through which the fingers may beinserted, movement 01"".the actuator due to opening and closing the fingers causing the wings tobe extended or contracted.

5. A swimming appliance comprising a body adapted to be secured to thepalm of the hand, wings pivoted to the body and swingable in planesparallel thereto, an actuator slidably mounted on the body and having aloop through which the fingers may be inserted, whereby opening andclosing movement of the fingers u'illgive movement to the actuator, anda connection between the actuator and the wings. a

6. A swimming appliance comprising a body, means for securing the bodyto the palm of the hand, wings pivoted to the body and swingable inplanes-parallel thereto, an actuator slidably mounted on the body, aloop carried by the actuator and through which the fingers may beinserted, whereby opening movement of the fingers moves the actuatoroutwardly and closing movement of the fingers moves the actuatorinwardly, and a connection between said actuator and the wings by whichoutward movement of the actuator opens the wings and inward movementthereof closes the wings.

7. A swimming device comprising a body, means to secure the body to apersons hand, wings carried thereby andmovable relative thereto intoeither extended position in which they extend beyond the body or intofolded position in which they do not so ex" tend, and means for foldingand extending the wings by the closing and opening movement of the hand.

8. A swimming deviceadapted to be secured to a persons hand, said devicebeing expansible and contractible in a plane parallel to the palm of thehand thereby to increase and decrease its resisting surface, and meansto expand and contract said device by the opening and closing movementof the fingers of the hand.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

LE ROY FLETCHER SNAPP.

